shannon



Nov. 28, 1961 Filed Nov. 17, 1958 R. W. SHANNON KNITTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. RALPH WINFIELD SHANNON KL. Zak/i4;

ATTORNEYS Nov. 28, 1961 R. w. SHANNON 3,010,299

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 1958 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

RALPH WINFIELD SHANNON ATTQR N EYS Nov. 28, 1961 R. w. SHANNON 3,010,299

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov 17, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5.

.lullllll l'Il'IIT-E nae INVEN TOR.

-RALPH- WINFIELD SHANNON ATTORNEYS United States Patent fifice 3,010,299 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 3,010,299 KNITTING MACHINE Ralph Winfield Shannon, Lakeport, N.H., assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N.H. Filed Nov. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 774,396 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-56) This invention relates to knitting machines and has particular reference to devices for effecting slowdown of a knitting machine prior to yarn change or some other operation which is desirably not effected at the full speed of operation.

During straight forward knitting it is desirable to maintain a knitting machine operation at as high a speed as possible to secure high rate of production. However, it is recognized that misoperation is likely to occur if the igh speed of the machine is maintained during certain operations such as are well typified by yarn changes. In particular, in some machines, for example of the superposed cylinder type, considerable movements of yarn fingers are required to occur in sequence and in particular relationship to movements of needles, and it is desirable that the machine should be slowed down during such operations. Obviously, it would be simplest if slowdown could be accomplished simultaneously with steps of pattern control mechanism effective to control the operations for which the slowdown is required. Under conditions of normal high speed operation, however, the parts by reason of inertia will not slow down sutliciently rapidly to achieve the desired operations.

It is, accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention to provide means for effecting slowdown of a knitting machine in a step under pattern control preceding the step which efliects the operation for which slowdown is required. In accordance with the present invention the usual pattern chain of the machine is set up to cfifect slowdown one or more links ahead of the operation producing a yarn change orsome other operation requiring the slowdown.

In accordance with the invention this is effected consistently with securing a resumption of high speed operation when that is required and not merely at the completion of the operation for which the slowdown is required. For example, if slowdown is desired during reciprocatory knitting of a heel or toe, the showdown may be efiected prior to the beginning of reciprocation and then normal full speed resumed after the reciprocatory knitting is completed, using the same devices for effecting slowdown and resumption of normal full speed as may be used in the case of merely a transient slowdown.

The foregoing objectives are attained, in accordance with the invention, with a minimum of departure from a standard machine construction, one of the objectives of the invention being the securing of simplicity in the attainment of the foregoing ends.

The objects above discussed and others relating to details of construction and operation will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the portion of a conventional knitting machine which is involved in attaining different speeds by belt shipping, the parts being shown in this figure in the positions assumed when the belt is trained over the high speed pulley;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view but showing the belt shipper in position to train the belt over a low speed pulley;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing certain elements controlling the change from high speed to slow speed;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the assembly shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view showing certain elements involved in the restoration of high speed operation; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view showing a modification of a yarn change mechanism of standard type desirable to effect operation in accordance with the present invention. 7

The machine to which the invention is applied may be conventional in most respects and is only relatively slightly modified in some of its parts to accomplish the desired results in accordance with the invention. The machine to which the invention is applied may be of rotary or stationary needle cylinder type such as is customarily provided with a drive system involving high and low speed pulleys between which a driving belt may be shipped. Consistently with the specific disclosure, it may be considered that the knitting machine is of the superposed cylinder Komet type, this type of machine particularly requiring adequate slowdown during yarn changes because of the relatively elaborate operations involved in making such changes. Attention may be particularly directed to the patent to Bentley et al., 1,838,651, dated December 29, 1931, which relates to yarn changing in a machine of this type and in particular discloses a yarn change controlling means of a type to which reference is made hereafter. Reference may also be made to British Patent 334,266, accepted September 1, 1930, which shows certain speed change mechanism which is conventional but has been modified in accordance with the present invention. Only so much of the knitting machine is disclosed in the present specification as is required for an understanding of the invention, it being understood that the remaining parts of the knitting machine are conventional.

Referring first particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, there are shown therein parts which are primarily conventional and which take part in speed control of the machine. Three pulleys are provided as indicated at 2, 4 and 6 which are, respectively, an idler pulley, a low speed pulley and a high speed pulley, over which a belt may be selectively shipped to secure, respectively, stopping of the machine, low speed operation and high speed operation, the belt being continuously driven from a motor individual to the machine or from a countershaft. The low and high speed pulleys serve to drive gearing in conventional fashion to produce knitting operations, and these geared connections remain unchanged in accordance with the invention and are, accordingly not illustrated. A belt shipping lever is shown at 8, pivoted to the machine frame at 1'0, and at its lower end, provided with the fork consisting of the arms 12 between which the belt (not shown) passes. When the lever 8 is swung to the left as illustrated in FIGURE 1 the belt drives the high speed pulley 6. When the lever is in intermediate position shown in FIGURE 2, the belt drives the low speed pulley 4. The lever may also occupy a right hand position, not shown, in which the belt drives the idler pulley 2.

A lever 14 pivoted at 16 in the frame has its upper end connected by an adjustable link 18 to the lever 8, the respective pivotal connections being shown at 20- and 22. Formed as part of the link 18 is an extension 24 the upper end of which is arranged to be engaged with the step 26 of a latch lever 28 pivoted at 29 and urged downwardly by a spring 30 having its lower end connected to the link 13. As will be evident from examination of the linkage, the link 18 has an approximately horizontal movement between its various positions resulting from operation. I

A Bowden wire 32 has one end connected to the latch lever 28 and passes through a sheath with its other end connected as shown in FIGURE 5 and as later described.

The latch lever 28 is provided with a knob 36 in the form of a pin which, as later described, may be conveniently lifted by an operator in starting a machine in high speed operation.

A manually operable lever 38, pivoted to the frame at 40, is provided at its upper end with a knob 42 for manual operation. The lever 38 carries a pin 46 which overlaps the left hand side of a lug 44 formed on the lever 8. A triple armed lever 48 is pivoted at 50 on the lever 38 and has one arm 52 located for engagement with the right hand side of lug 44. A depending arm 54 cooperates with an adjustable abutment screw 56 which limits counterclockwise rotation of the lever 48 relative to lever 38. A third arm 58 of lever 48 is urged downwardly by a spring 60 having its lower end anchored to the lower end of lever 38. A strong spring 62 normally urges the lever 38 clockwise to a position limited by an adjustable stop 64 carried by the frame. Pivoted at 66 to lever 38 is a rod 68 guided at its left hand end in a hole in the frame and provided with a lug 67 which is arranged to engage a lug 69 carried by the hub 71 of a lever 73 pivoted to the frame. The arrangement is such that the machine may be stopped by pulling forward on the lever 73 to disengage the lugs 67 and 69 to permit the rod 68 to move to the right and the lever 38 to move to its extreme right hand position under the action of spring 62 thereby to ship the belt to the idler pulley.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, the end of the Bowden wire 32 remote from latch 28 is secured to a lever 70.

which is pivoted at 72 to a stationary shaft of the machine and carries an adjustable follower 74 engageable by side lugs 76 on predetermined links of the main pattern chain 78 of the machine which is advanced step by step by pawl action on the usual ratchet wheel 8%). As is usual, the pattern chain steps one link for one or more predetermined courses of knitting depending upon the particular machine involved. This pattern chain controls all of the operations of the mach ne including moves of the main cam drum, moves of one .or more auxiliary cam drums, if such are provided, and, in the case of the machine specifically illustrated, yarn changes, the latter being on the periphery of the chain links.

Referring to FIGURE 4, one of such lugs is indicated at 82 and acts upon the adjustable follower 84 secured to an arm 86 which is in turn secured to a shaft 87 provided with an upright arm 88 connected through an adjustable pivot 90 to a generally horizontally extending rod 92. The rod 92 carries a collar 94 which is engageable with a lever 96 pivoted at 97 to the frame and urged clockwise as viewed in FIGURE 3 by a spring 98 to be positioned beneath an arm 100 secured to a shaft 102 which is urged so as to move the arm 1% downwardly by a spring 104. The shaft 102 is provided with a fork 106 in which is pivoted a lever 188 having a cam follower portion 110 and a tail portion 111 which is engageable with the left hand side of the upward extension 24 of link 18 as illustrated in FIGURES l and 2. The high speed pulley 6 is provided with a cam 112 which engages the cam follower end 110 of lever 108 when the lever is located in the path of the cam by the proper position of shaft 102. A cam 114 is also provided on the high speed pulley to rock the lever 168 and shaft 102 as hereafter described. Various of the parts just described are as shown in British Patent 334,266 referred to above.

The end of the rod 92 remote from the arm 88 is pivoted, as indicated in FIGURE 6, to a bell crank 116 which is associated with a slide 118 which controls yarn changes as described in detail in Bentley et al. patent, l-,838,65l, referred to above. Comparing FIGURE 6 withFIGURE 9 of the last mentioned patent it will be noted that the only difference is that a clearance space 124 is provided in the slide 118 so that the arm of bell crank 116 has play at its end which engages the adjustable s'c rew 122 carried by the slide. The slide is urged upwardly as viewed in FIGURE 6 by a spring 120, and isjshown in FIGURE 6 in its extreme upward position.

When no lug on the chain 76 acts on followed 84 the horizontally extending arm'of bell crank 116 is located in spaced relationship to the stop screw 122.' The conditions illustrated in FIGURE 6 are those which occur when a lug 82 of minimum height engages the follower 84, the bell crank 116 then being brought into contact with or substantially into contact with the follower screw without causing movement of the slide. Higher links on the pattern chain produce movements of the slide and yarn changes as described in said Patent 1,838,651.

The operation of the described mechanism is as follows: Y

When the machine is idle the lever 38 occupies an extreme right hand position under the action of spring 62, the rod 68 being released by disengagement of the lugs 67 and 69, and the pin 46 holds the lever 8 in its extreme right hand position which is determined by the adjustment of the stop 64 to locate the belt shipper in position to train the belt over the idler pulley 2. Assuming that the operator wishes to start the machine in low speed, the lever 38 is moved to the left and as this movement takes place the lever 48 having its arm 52 free of the lug 44 due to the stopping action of screw 56, engages the lug 44 and, yieldingly, through the action of spring 60, rocks the belt shipping lever 8 toward the left and with it the link 18 until the upward extension 24 of this link engages the shoulder 26 of latch 28. When this occurs the belt shipper trains the belt over the low speed pulley 4. The movement of lever 38 is continued toward the left so that the lug 67 cams downwardly the lug 69 and ultimately passes it so that due to the weight of lever 73 the lug 69 moves upwardly to trap the lug 67 thereby latching the lever 38 in a left hand position which would normally correspond to the position of the belt shipper which would train the belt over the ihigh speed pulley 6. In the movement just described, however, since the belt shipper lever 8 cannot move beyond the low speed position because of the restraining action of the latch lever 28, the lever 48 yields against the action of spring 60, being forced away from engagement with the stop screw 56. Under the conditions just stated, therefore, the machine would operate at low speed. If high speed operation is initially desired, the latch lever 28 is raised by the operator through engagement with the knob 36. Thereupon the spring 60 acting through the lever 48 and lug 44 moves the released belt shipper lever 8 to its high speed posit-ionillu'strated in FIGURE 1. Instead of the two steps described, of course, the operator may conveniently lift with his thumb the latch lever 28 simultaneously with the movement of the knob 42 to the left so that, effectively, the belt may be shipped directly from the idler pulley 2 past the low speed pulley 4 to the high speed pulley. It will now be assumed that for the following events the machine has thus initially been put into high speed operation.

Let it now be assumed that as the result of previous operation of the machine the follower 84 is riding on plain links which are not provided with any lugs such as 82. Under these circumstances the lever 96 will underlie the arm and the lever 108 will be in a position in which its follower end is located radially outwardly, with respect to the axis of the pulleys, beyond the path of the cam 112 so as not. to be engaged thereby. V

Assuming, now, that is is desired to efliect slowing down of the machine prior to an operation such as the shifting of the main cam drumor the effecting of a yarn change. Prior to the location of a chain link to effect such shifting 'or change a lug 82 of minimum height engages the follower 84 to rock the shaft 87 and move the rod or link 92 rearwardly. As previously pointed out in connection with the description of FIGURE 6, this movement mayoccur withoutimpa'rting movement to the slide 118. 'I'hemovement, however, of rod 92 is sufiicient to move collar 94 to disengage the lever 96 from beneath the arm 100 thereby to rock the lever 108 to a position wtih its follower end 110 in the path of cam 112 carried by the high speed pulley. As the cam engages this lever its tail portion 111 is moved to the right as viewed in FIGURE 1 forcing the link 18 to the right to move the belt shipper lever 8 to the low speed position against the yielding action of spring 60 without effecting movement of lever 38 which is latched by the interengagement of the lugs 67 and 69. This movement produces a latching of the lever 8 in its low speed position after the lever 108 is released by cam 112 by reason of the fact that the upper end of extension 24 is located beyond the shoulder 26 of the latch lever 28 which is pulled downwardly by spring 30. As the high speed pulley continues to revolve the cam 114 rocks the lever 108, and this occurs revolution after revolution until the follower 84 is clear of any lug 82 whereupon the lever 96 again drops below the arm 100 to hold the lever 108 in a position out of the path of the cam 112. The low speed condition of operation is then maintained. In the next or other subsequent step of the pattern chain the main cam drum may be shifted or, by the passage of a high lug 82 a yarn change may be effected as described in said Patent 1,838,651. It will be noted that by reason of the arbitrary possibility of locating a link of minimum height on the chain ample time is provided for full slowdown to occur before there takes place the event for which slowdown is required.

When high speed of operation is to be resumed, a side lug 76 engages the follower 74 to exert a pull on the Bowden wire 32 which raises the latch lever 28 to release the link extension 24. As soon as such release occurs the spring 60 through lever 48 will move the belt shipping lever 8 to the high speed position.

As will be evident from the foregoing, both the times of initiating low speed operation and resumption of high speed operation are subject to arbitrary choice merely by the proper locations of lugs 82 and 76 on the chain. The advantage, of course, is that low speed operation may be initiated well in advance of the operation for which it is required, the interval being suflicient to permit proper slowdown to take place. Consistently with this high speed operation may be resumed whenever required, to provide either a long or short period of low speed operation.

It will be evident that various changes may be made in details of the construction and operation without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A knitting machine comprising driving means selectively movable to effect either high or low speed operation thereof, pattern means for effecting movement of said driving means to efiect low speed operation, means independent of said pattern means and effective after the last mentioned movement for holding said driving means in position to maintain said low speed operation, and pattern means controlling said holding means independently of the action of the first mentioned pattern means for subsequently effecting movement of said driving means to effect high speed operation.

2. A knitting machine according to claim 1 in which both of said pattern means are provided by lugs on a pattern chain.

3. A knitting machine comprisingdriving means selectively movable to efiect either high or low speed operation thereof, means normally yieldingly urging said driving means to eifect high speed operation, pattern means for effecting movement of said driving means to efiect low speed operation, means, comprising a latch restraining said driving means from return to its normal condition under the action of said urging means, for holding said driving means in position, after the last mentioned movement, to maintain said low speed operation, and pattern means for tripping the latch of said holding means for subsequently effecting movement of said driving means to effect high speed operation.

4. A knitting machine according to claim 3 in which both of said pattern means are provided by lugs on a pattern chain.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 793,791 Johnson July 4, 1905 1,210,866 Spiers Ian. 2, 1917 1,463,408 Swartz July 31, 1923 1,838,651 Bentley et a1. Dec. 29, 1931 2,422,568 Larkin June 17, 1947 2,587,816 Bristow Mar. 4, 1952 2,697,337 Brown et al Dec. 21, 1954 2,736,178 Lawson Feb. 28, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 171,483 Great Britain Nov. 17, 1921 334,266 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1930 

